That Bind Us
by SanaiSolomon
Summary: The world post Sorceress War goes on for the young cadets of SeeD. Some stay, some go, some come new to the fold. Peace is always a fleeting thing, though, isn't it? Could mankind create something just as fearsome as the Sorceress herself? How do you stop what was engineered to be perfect? T for violence for now. More pairings and possibly upgraded rating to come.
1. Chapter 1 - Business As Usual

"Welcome back, Commander," the young brunette woman said as she smiled warmly at the well worn man emerging from a small gunboat. Obviously still a young man in his mid-20s, but the better part of the past decade had taken its toll on him. His eyes were tired with slight discoloration around the orbital bones, yet the irises still had the same fire behind them that they did when he was a teenager. His chestnut brown hair had lightened with flakes of salt around the temples and crown of his head, though only noticeable by his own disconcerting eye or that of his companion (even if she was too kind to make verbal note of it). Although the minor details in his appearance aged him, the body that carried them was as strong as ever. Long and lean, he stood at 5'9" with limbs that seemed like they were crafted with marble. Even under the standard issue combat fatigues it was evident that more than a fair bit of training had hardened the muscle underneath.

"Thanks, Xu," he replied while trying to muster a half-hearted smile in return. In his age he had found out that no one really cares for a sullen, withdrawn person, especially one that was his or her superior. He had made great strides to show just the slightest bit more warmth to those around him. People had taken notice of this and instead of referring to him as a "loner" they now just explained him as being "reserved" or "serious."

He made his way from the dock ramp to the middle SUV in a three-vehicle convoy. Xu followed closely behind with a brown leather binder tucked underneath her arm. The pair slid into the backseats of the car. Wasting no time the woman unzipped the binder and began, "There are a few things that need attending to now that you're back." A faint but audible groan escaped her associate's lips, but she was undeterred. "The acting Headmaster of Trabia Garden would like to talk to you at some point. Apparently it's Blue Dragon breeding season and they can get a little aggressive. He just wants a little SeeD extermination, I suppose."

"Arrange a six party team to get up there. Tell the Headmaster that he should send some of his students with them, it'll be good training."

"Let's see.. the first year SeeDs are coming up on their annual review so we need to get those scheduled as soon as possible. The administration said that they would like your recommendations on those that could transfer to White SeeD as well."

"Schedule them for next week, I guess."

"Also, Edea called and said she would love it if you could call her back, but she understands if you're too busy."

"…" Matron guilt.

"Lastly, the new potential from Galbadia is waiting at Garden. I've sent you all of her information. I called and talked to Martine about her already, but it wasn't anything stellar. Could be an auto-wash out."

"We'll see. If Martine doesn't like her then I might love her. Send her up to my office when we get back."

By the time Xu had finished going over the itinerary the vehicle pulled up to the front gates of Balamb Garden. It was a sight for the Commander's sore, sea salt filled eyes. Even with the monotony of the bureaucratic side of running SeeD his home always reminded him of how worth the trouble it was. The Garden had been tucked back into its original home, nestled between the mountains and sea. The mobility of the structure had benefits, but the students and staff always needed that place to come back to. Replaced two years after the Second Sorceress War it gave the entire nation of Balamb a peace of mind that it needed to truly begin rebuilding.

The commander exited the vehicle while his associate remained seated. He needed to decompress and left her to see to the debriefing of his fellow SeeDs that accompanied him on the most recent mission.

"Oh!" Xu called out to him before he shut the door. "And someone," she said with a sly emphasis, "said that she wanted to see you as soon as you got back." The brunette beamed widely as if she were privy to something secret that he couldn't yet know about. She reached over to the seat to grab at the handle.

"Don't be late, Squall." Xu chided playfully before securing the door and the SUV pulled away to the garage.

Squall smiled a bit at the vehicle as he watched it disappear to the sublevel of Garden. His friend knew him so well. After the desperately boring spiel of responsibility thrown his way right when he got home, she knew how to lift his spirits in the same conversation. His gazed turned back to the front gates as he made his way into Garden. Somewhere within those halls someone awaited him that always took his mind off of the necessities of being an adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The small, flat-screened device in his phone buzzed as he entered the main hall. His hand reached for it, a swipe of his thumbprint bringing it to life before focusing on the message displayed.

"_Heard you were back. Come see me. –Q_" the message read simply enough. Always to the point, that one, he mused silently about the sender. Ahead of him was the directory, the stairs behind it leading up to the large glass elevator tower that was the focus of the main floor. To his left was where he was sure he was headed. Responsibility be damned. Surely she couldn't expect to have an effective leader when he was worn ragged. There was time enough for what the Headmistress had to say, now was a time for recuperation.

Heavy footsteps traipsed the familiar path to the Quad. The sleek, pink tinted glass doors slid open. During the daylight there wasn't that stark of a difference in the scenery. Lush foliage and crystal clear water adorned the interior of Garden as well as the exterior of the Quad. Although, it could be said that with the addition of manicured gardens, the high pitched chatter of students, and the overall sense of ease that the place was better suited for relaxation.

Squall made his way down two sets of small stairs, nodding and half smiling at the students and SeeDs that greeted him on the way towards the stage. His eyes lifted up to take in what was his friend Selphie's personal crowning achievement from her time at Garden. "TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE GARDEN FESTIVAL!" a banner hung across the trusses proudly proclaimed. "Volunteers are appreciated! See your Terminal for details." the sign continued to say in much smaller print. The smile that crossed Squall's lips loosened slightly as he thought that Selphie was no longer there to oversee the grand tradition that she started. Granted the bubbly girl had never missed a Garden Festival even after she left Garden three years ago. It never seemed like it was quite the same after she handed the reigns over to another student. Although Selphie never had any unkind words to say about what the other organizers had done, Squall would occasionally find her fiddling with decorations or giving gentle instruction about what order the musicians should go on stage every year.

It was inevitable, though, that Selphie would leave the Garden. As fierce and determined as a fighter she was, her heart was never truly in Balamb or SeeD. After it was apparent that the interim Headmaster of Trabia had no clue how to run the revitalization of their Garden, Selphie made the decision to return to the snowy mountain country to remake the home she had always known. It was a decision that Squall and the others had supported her in 100%, even if it was difficult to see a friend and compatriot go. The girl was never truly gone, though, as her spirit always shown through in the yearly festival.

"She'll be back in a couple of weeks," a voice rang out from behind, dragging him out of his thoughts and back to the world around him. A familiar voice that always soothed the soul and eased the mind of young commander. Squall turned on his heel, his mood immediately lifting when he laid eyes on the raven haired young woman in front of him. It was a kind reminder that he still felt the same way about the girl that had chiseled the ice away from his heart many years ago. The girl that he had killed for, the girl he had almost died for, the one that he could have given away the rest of his life for when declaring himself her knight. Luckily Rinoa had changed the world's mind on what a sorceress was and could be.

The world after the Second Sorceress War was not a kind one for Rinoa Heartilly. Even in her new home, Balamb Garden, people were scared of her. It was something that she had never had to deal with and it did not sit well with the kind spirited girl. Rinoa gave and received nothing but love for most of her life. Edea had made the world fear the sorceress again, even if it wasn't Edea – which showed that the world actually knew very little about the subject in the first place. Television commentators called for her death to ensure peace; although, when it was explained to them that her death only meant a new sorceress, one that could be capable of great evil, the call was downgraded to her re-imprisonment in a Sorceress Memorial. Politicians that wanted to make names for themselves used her as a talking point and 'demanded' that Balamb Garden stop harboring such a powerful living weapon.

It took quite a bit of finesse and charm to turn the world's opinion of her around. Rinoa went on a massive Sorceress acceptance PR campaign in the years following the war. She would make televised speeches, imploring citizens to not be afraid of her and trying to explain the mechanics of possession to them. Slowly, but surely, the world learned that they had nothing to fear from the young woman. Having the Presidents of Galbadia and Esthar in her corner didn't hurt either. President Caraway made crimes against a sorceress a class A crime, punishable by 15 years in D-Prison. President Loire and Rinoa took a softer approach by pledging that if she showed any future signs of possession then she would voluntarily wear a specially designed Odine bangle for the rest of her life.

Squall stepped forward, holding his arms out to receive Rinoa in a tight embrace. His gloved hand cradled the back of her head while holding her firmly against his chest. While he was a man of few words, Rinoa could always decipher what he wanted to say with merely a hug, a squeeze of her hand, or a touch of his lips. This affection given simply said, '_I missed you so much_.' It had taken her a while to get used to the non-verbal communication of Squall, but now she wouldn't change it for all of the loving words in the world.

Rinoa pulled away from him only slightly to leave enough space to look up at his face clearly. "How was your trip?"

"Eventful," he started plainly, "as much as Mayor Dobe doesn't care for us, he doesn't care for FH being used as a waypoint for Esthar black market dealers more." Squall chuckled softly while reminiscing about his conversation with the Fisherman's Horizon mayor days ago. He remembered something about how Dobe made it absolutely clear that he was only calling in SeeD to deal with the thugs because he had no other choice; and, as soon as the problem was dealt with they should pack up and get out of FH with no loitering around.

The woman in his arms returned his smile, knowing that there was something amusing rolling around in that little head of his. Squall was getting better at not taking the job as so seriously as he once had. While he wouldn't vocally disparage a client of SeeD, it didn't stop him from poking a little fun at them in his own way.

"Have you talked to Quistis yet?" Rinoa asked with a tilt of her head.

"Not yet, I wanted to come see you first."

She smiled kindly at the thought put in action. "Well, she wouldn't tell me what was up, but she did say that she had some very important – and classified – information for you." Even though Rinoa lived at Garden she had decided long ago that the SeeD life wasn't for her. After the war she came back to Balamb Garden and studied her magic for a while as an unofficial student. It wasn't until four years later that Headmaster Cid made one of his last official acts and asked her to become an instructor of magic at the Garden. The backlash from the administration was swift and very loud; although, their reason for objection was exactly why Cid had made his decision – what better teacher of the next generation of mages than the Sorceress?

The decision forced Cid into handing in his resignation, the public reason given was that he wanted to return home to his wife and make up for lost time. His choice for his replacement was also met with reluctance from the other side of the Garden 'powers-that-be'. It wasn't until Quistis Trepe spoke up and made her own case as to why she should be the next Headmistress of Balamb Garden that opinions were swayed. Even Quistis had to admit that administration's arguments against her were sound, but were based on the young teenager that she used to be and not the capable woman she had become. In the end it came to a very close vote of 3-2 from the new board that she was to be instated as Headmistress – the deciding vote coming from the Commander of SeeD himself.

"You'd better go see what she wants to tell you. We'll have dinner tonight, okay?" said the dark haired beauty as she let her arms loosen from his sides. Leaning up, she placed a soft and gentle kiss to his lips before withdrawing completely. "Love you."

Squall nodded in agreement as he returned her kiss, gently squeezing her arms before letting go. "Love you, too," he said as he turned away to make his way towards the Headmistress' office above.

* * *

Thank you so much for sitting through the first chapter. I plan for this one to be a big one so please sit tight for more. More of your favorite characters will pop up, I promise, and some that you aren't familiar with. Please review if you like, they are always appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2 - Against the Current

Quistis had always been a creature of habit. She liked to wake up every morning at the same time, drink her coffee as she put on the same uniform, put on her makeup the same way, and throw her hair up in the same eloquent bun. Every morning before her first class she would sit at the same Terminal and go over the details of the day's lesson. Being an instructor accommodated this lifestyle very well. Even if something ever went awry there was someone above her to deal with it.

The peace and tranquility of morning (afternoon and evening) customs went out the door as soon as she took the seat of headmistress. Instead of calling to have someone come fix the containment field in the Training Center, now her phone would ring with a desperately overwhelmed instructor of junior classmen trying to fend off ten grats when only two were supposed to be released. When the cafeteria ran out of hotdogs she would inevitably get a message from a faculty member telling her that she should plan for the demand of the morsels better (even when she wasn't in direct charge of ordering food). All before mid-morning coffee.

Quistis had never been easy to find in Balamb Garden as the woman flitted easily between hobbies and interests. Now, though, it was pretty easy to get to her if you needed. Sometimes running from various Garden ending disasters or sitting in on painfully droll and unnecessary meetings with the administration, but mainly perched in the glass spire at the top of Garden. The view of the Rinauld Coast was calming, yet sometimes infuriating to the woman. She had achieved what some people worked their entire lives for so young, but at the sacrifice of her own worldly experience in the formative years.

A high-pitched chirp from her Terminal broke her out of whatever deep thoughts may have been brewing in her mind. Deep royal blue eyes shifted away from the sea and to the screen sitting atop her desk. A security camera feed from the elevator had popped up in front of various messages and reports that littered the monitor. _"Ah, good, he's making time for me."_ Squall had used his ID badge to grant access to her office. The addition of the camera alert had saved her so many times when Trepies had managed to get their hands on cards programmed with elevator access to her office. Quistis knew it took exactly five seconds to sprint from her desk to the lock on the door because of this security feature.

Quistis shut the feed window before pulling up several documents that pertained to Squall's visit. She wasn't sure what they all were supposed to mean yet - if they meant anything in the first place, that is. They had all learned long ago that it was easier to prepare for a threat than let it creep up on them from behind.

"Quistis," Squall nodded to her as he entered the office. Every time he came up there he was reminded how so Quistis is all was. All of the various tchotchkes were in their spot and displayed just so. Save the Queen was displayed proudly behind her desk with a single tasteful sconce lighting the intimidating looking whip from above. The colors were cool and calming, the faintest of grays coloring the main wall until the large main window turned to the blue of the sea. Rare books filled the shelves along with magic scrolls that could've been as old as Hyne himself.

Quistis' lips curved up into a smile while he sat in the leather armchair across from her desk. "Welcome back. Everything in FH is taken care of, I take it?"

"Yeah, Dobe should be sending the last of the payment any time now. What was it you wanted to see me about?"

There was no such thing as small talk with Squall Leonhart. Any time one tried to attempt it there would be more awkward silences and long stares than anyone could deal with. "Ah, yes.. that. Do you remember the Deep Sea Research Center?" Squall nodded immediately. "Well a few years ago when we started the Research and Development program we went and retrieved a few things from Deep Sea. Just as a precaution, I made the team install an alarm when they left. If anyone entered the facility I, or whoever was in my place, would get an alert about it."

"And you got an alert about it?" Squall pieced together the very simple puzzle to get to the point.

Quistis nodded and swiveled around her monitor to face Squall. "Yes. I took the liberty of sending Zell and a few others out to investigate. He sent me this update last night."

_This place is still so weird. You guys keep on alert, **okay**!? I don't want to be ambushed by some Behemoth or something! Oh, shit, this things on, isn't it?_

_Quistis, this is weird. It's all cleaned out. You know you gave me that list of stuff we didn't take? It's all gone. It looks like they took some reactor pieces, too, like seriously worthless junk. We trekked down to the lower levels, that blue crystal is gone. Did we take that? I dunno. That's all I can report. Whoever came here didn't leave any trace. Sorry, Quis."_

The video cut out and Quistis returned her monitor to its original position. "So someone broke into Deep Sea and took what we didn't think was worth it. Would you mind asking your fath-" she hesitated finishing the word, knowing Squall's opinion of the F-word, "President Loire if he had anyone go? And Caraway? If it was as simple as another nation going in then I would feel much better about the situation." Not that Galbadia scavenging for leftovers was anything that she should get excited about, but there were other possibilities that were much worse.

"I'll ask, but we need to have a plan in case it wasn't them. They were up to some pretty severe things in there. If someone is planning on restarting the work then we need to know." His counterpart nodded in agreement. Quistis was relieved that Squall seemed to be taking the situation every bit as seriously as she was.

"Agreed. I'll put out feelers to a few labs. Maybe they can be of some help. If someone is trying to recreate Deep Sea then they definitely don't have everything they need now. They'll need to get the extra equipment from somewhere."

"Alright. I'll send messages to Laguna and Caraway as soon as I can." Squall pushed off from his chair. "Anything else, Quistis?"

"Not from me, but I hear you have a candidate waiting for you downstairs."

'Dammit. I forgot about her,' Squall thought, immediately furrowing his brow as he turned to leave.

"Try to be open about this one, Squall. You have to replace Selphie and Irvine eventually." She knew that he didn't like the thought; putting other people in their spots among his Elite just cemented the fact that they were gone. It had been more than long enough since the couple left Balamb, it was time to add new blood.

"…whatever."


End file.
